Friday, 13 December 2013

Hello. it's been a while, sorry about that. Anyway, I (Non) have news:

I'm leaving Catnip Publishing at Christmas. It’s been a truly fantastic five years working with a range of wonderful and talented authors, building relationships with agents, booksellers and reviewers and hunting out new books to bring to new audiences. It has also been five years of very hard work, which has only become harder the more things I’ve tried to commit to outside of the office.

In 2014 my first book is coming out with Walker, and my first child will start school. I am lucky to have the opportunity to do something I love (writing and talking about books) on a schedule that will fit around someone I love. It may not be for ever – no one knows how hard it is to make it work as a full-time author than someone who’s worked in the industry already – but for the next two years, that’s what I’ll be doing.

So from the end of next week (20thDecember), the utterly awesome Liz Bankes will be the person behind the twitter feed @catnipbooks, the (maybe slightly less neglected) blog and all the important editorial decisions. Liz is fantastically knowledgeable about all things children's bookish, efficient and inspired – with a great eye for comedy – and I have no doubt that everyone who’s been a proud and passionate supporter of Catnip will get behind her as much as they once did me. Catnip has some extremely exciting books coming out next year with long-established Catnip authors such as Joan Lingard, Patricia Leitch, Margaret Bateson-Hill and Sam Hay; second books from this year’s debut authors Jason Beresford and Natasha Desborough and two wonderful authors to welcome to the list: the ever-popular Keris Stainton and debut author Anne Booth.

I will still be very much shouting about children’s books on twitter as @NonPratt (and on any other forum if I get half a chance), and I’m sure you’re all forgive me if I retain a slight Catnip-bias.